HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – After a busy Saturday morning with workers galore at the Palm Meadows Training Center, three horses — State of Honor, Talk Logistics and Unbridled Holiday — were given the green light to run in the $1 million Xpressbet.com Florida Derby (G1) at Gulfstream Park April 1. Fountain of Youth (G2) runner-up Practical Joke also worked for a “probable”, start in the 1 1/8-mile prep for the Kentucky Derby.

FLORENCE, Ky. (March 25, 2017) – Bettors sent Fast and Accurate off at 24-1 in the $500,000 JACK Cincinnati Casino Spiral Stakes (G3) at Turfway Park Saturday and the colt obliged with a confident, three-quarter length win, giving owner Kendall Hansen another shot at the Run for the Roses.

A designated points race for the Kentucky Derby (G1), the 1 1/8-mile Spiral offers 50 points to the winner. Fast and Accurate is not nominated to the Triple Crown, but Hansen indicated his intention to pay the $200,000 supplement for late nomination.

JACK CINCINNATI CASINO SPIRAL STAKES

FLORENCE, Ky. (March 24, 2017) – A strong runner-up finish in the Colts and Geldings Division of the OBS Championship Stakes at Ocala Training Center in January gave George “Rusty” Arnold II confidence to enter Convict Pike in the JACK Cincinnati Casino Spiral Stakes (G3) at Turfway Saturday.

A son of Broken Vow, Convict Pike was beaten just 2 1/2 lengths in the OBS Championship division by Master Plan, who will represent the United States in the United Arab Emirates Derby (Gr. 1) in Dubai the same day as the Spiral.

Wednesday, March 15 2017

Oaklawn Barn Notes: Rebel Stakes Update

REBEL STAKES

AMERICAN ANTHEM

American Anthem, Hall of Famer trainer Bob Baffert’s hopeful for the $900,000 Rebel Stakes-G2 at Oaklawn Park on Saturday, will break from post 7 in the field of 11 3-year-olds when the promising but lightly-raced colt meets more experienced competition at this important juncture on the Kentucky Derby trail.

The Rebel offers 50-20-10-5 qualifying points for the Run for The Roses at Churchill Downs and Saturday’s test at 1 1/16 miles for sophomores highlights Oaklawn’s stacked 11-race card, which includes the $350,000 Azeri Stakes and the $250,000 Essex Handicap.

Ridden by Javier Castellano, Shaman Ghost ran 1 1/4 miles in 2:01.57 and paid $4.60, $2.60 and $2.40 as the 6-5 favorite.

Owner-breeder Frank Stronach was on hand to see his 5-year-old horse win a big race at Santa Anita, which Stronach also owns. Last November, Shaman Ghost was scratched from the Breeders' Cup Classic on race day at the track after falling ill.

SANTA ANITA HANDICAP - STAKES QUOTES

SANTA ANITA HANDICAP
80TH RUNNING
GR. I, $750,000

JOCKEY QUOTES

JAVIER CASTELLANO, SHAMAN GHOST, WINNER: “I knew there wasn’t a lot of speed in the race so I just wanted to focus on the horse on the lead, Midnight Storm, and keep track of him. (Shaman Ghost) was comfortable the whole way.

“I knew I had it won at the eighth pole. I asked him for full speed at the eighth pole, and he gave it to me, right away. I said ‘Yes!’”

SAN FELIPE STAKES QUOTES

SAN FELIPE
GR. II, $400,000

JOCKEY QUOTES

MIKE SMITH, MASTERY, WINNER: Regarding Mastery, who was pulled up after the wire and taken back to the barn via horse ambulance after being evaluated by track vet, Dr. Dana Stead – “He seemed to just go off in the left hind. I don’t know why. Nothing happened that made me think, ‘Oh, something just happened.’ He just all of the sudden went off and wouldn’t put weight on it.

“I got off real quick and nothing seemed dislocated or anything. After he moved for a little bit he started walking fine on it so I’m hoping that maybe he just tweaked it or rolled it. I’m hoping it’s not that serious because he’s an incredible horse.

GULFSTREAM TODAY: Sat 3/11

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – St. Elias Stable’s Battalion Runner, a promising 3-year-old who has yet to be tested in stakes company, continued his march to the $1 million Xpressbet.com Florida Derby (G1) by working six furlongs Saturday at Palm Beach Downs.

Under exercise rider Nick Bush, the Todd Pletcher-trained Battalion Runner worked in company with Vees Boy. They were both clocked in 1:13.80.

Friday, March 10 2017

Gulfstream Today 3.10.17

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Saturday’s 13-race program at Gulfstream Park will feature guaranteed pools for the 20-cent Rainbow 6, the 50-cent Late Pick 4 and the 50-cent Late Pick 5.

The Rainbow 6 (Races 8-13) will offer a $600,000 jackpot pool guarantee. The Late Pick 4 (Races 10-13) pool will be guaranteed at $250,000, while the Late Pick 5 (Races 9-13) will offer a $200,000 pool guarantee.

Bluegrass Envy Seeks Upset in San Felipe (G2)

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL - Bluegrass Envy, a 3-year-old maiden bred by the University of Kentucky, takes his show on the road Saturday when he meets winners in the $400,000 San Felipe (G2) at Santa Anita Park.

Owned by Loooch Racing Stables Inc., J Stables LLC and Courtney Schneider, Bluegrass Envy is winless in five starts. The son of Any Given Saturday finished fourth behind the multiple-stakes placed Basha in his 2-year-old debut in September, second in December behind promising 3-year-old Classic Rock, and fifth in a maiden event in January that produced next-out winner Monaco, a $1.3 million purchase who won by a dozen Feb. 12 at Tampa Bay Downs.